Posts Tagged ‘south miami dentist’

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Treating Gum Disease with Perio Protect

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

treating-gum-disease-with-perio-protectDo you have bleeding, puffy, or otherwise agitated gums?  If so, you may be one of 85% of adults who have gum disease.  Gum disease can lead to receding gums, loss of teeth, chronic bad breath, and has recently been linked with heart disease.  Treating gum disease, however, can reverse the process and help both teeth and gums to become healthy again!


Comments by Dr. Ted Herrmann

Periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, afflicts about 85% of adults.  This condition is not to be taken lightly; when untreated, gum disease may cause recession of the gums, loss of teeth, and even heart disease.  Gum disease effects one or more of the following periodontal tissues:


-Alveolar Bone, the bone that holds the teeth and gums in place

-Periodontal Ligaments, connects the teeth with the Alveolar Bone

-Cementum, a protective layer at the root of the bone

-Gingiva, the gums


Once one or more of the above tissues are affected, serious and proactive measures must be taken to remove the bacteria from your gums and prevent it from developing again.  Assure a Smile offers the PERIO PROTECT system for doing just that.


The first step in the Perio Protect treatment system is to have an in-depth cleaning of the teeth and gums.  This cleaning focuses on the debridement, or removal, of plaque, tarter, and bacteria from the sulcus, or periodontal pocket.  The sulcus is the region between the tooth and surrounding gum area.


Once plaque and bacteria have been removed, a set of custom Perio Protect trays is made.   These trays fit tightly around your teeth while also leaving a reservoir for a treatment solution that runs along the gum line.  This solution is tailored specifically for your treatment needs, and it consists mainly of oxidizing and oxygenating agents that reduce bacteria populations (i).


After your debridement cleaning, it is recommended you wear the Perio Protect trays and accompanying solution 2 to 3 times daily. When the trays are inserted, the reservoir effectively holds the treatment solution along the gum line and prevents bacteria populations from regenerating in the sulcus.  This allows your gums time to heal properly.


Habitual brushing and flossing can prevent gum disease.  However, once gum disease develops, brushing and flossing alone are not enough.  Treating periodontal disease requires a thorough cleaning of the teeth and gums, followed by continual treatment of the area with a FDA approved, doctor prescribed solution.  As a Miami dentist, I recommend the Perio Protect system as a premier and fully customizable approach to treating gum disease.  The system works well from a holistic dentistry perspective as it works to restore each of the periodontal tissues through one convenient process.


(i) http://www.perioprotect.com/whatIs.asp

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Breakfast: 3 Things You Did Not Know

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

breakfast-3-things-you-did-not-knowIt seems there is never enough time.  When time is short, we tend to choose the easiest option.  The problem?  The easiest option is not always the healthiest.

 

Break the cycle and prime yourself with success by eating a healthy breakfast every day!

 

Aside from providing your body with fuel, eating a daily breakfast rich in protein, fruit, and healthy fat builds a foundation for long term longevity.

 

Comments by Dr. Ted Herrmann:

It is said that the word breakfast literally means to break your body of the fast it undergoes while you sleep.  Yes, that’s right.  Your body eats away at itself while you are sleeping, drawing energy and nutrients from fat stores and muscle fibers.  This is why we awake with hunger, and this is why eating breakfast is so important.

 

A healthy breakfast can be broken down into three parts: protein, complex carbohydrates, and unsaturated fats.  A typical well rounded breakfast, for example, consists of protein from egg whites, complex carbohydrates from a fruit salad, and unsaturated fat from a dairy product like whole milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese.

 

Aside from ridding us of our early morning rumbling stomachs, a healthy and well rounded breakfast builds the foundation for longevity and overall vitality in at least three ways.

 

First, a healthy breakfast provides the body with lean protein at the early hours of the day.  This is very important because the body draws protein from muscle fibers while we sleep.  As this happens, the body feels as though it is starving and goes into survival mode, slowing the metabolism and increasing the production of a hormone called cortisol.  Those protein stores must be replaced as soon as possible, and the fastest way to do is by consuming 10-15 grams (about four egg whites) of protein each morning.  This will bring the body out of survival mode and decrease the production of cortisol over time.  Recent studies have found that individuals with low cortisol levels have greater immune system health as well as a reduced risk of heart disease (i).  In this way, eating eggs each morning promotes long term health.

 

The second part of the healthy breakfast equation includes about 2 cups of fresh fruit.  This portion of the meal provides high quality carbohydrates that the body will metabolize into energy throughout the day.  Also, fruit has a relatively high concentration of both water and vitamins that will hydrate and nourish the body.  Most notably, fruit is naturally sweet.  Enjoying naturally sweet whole foods, like fruit, throughout the day will deter those late night cravings for sweets that all too often lead to plaque buildup and tooth decay.

 

Finally, a healthy breakfast is rounded out with a moderate serving of unsaturated fat.  The best source for this is yogurt as it goes well with fruit and other breakfast foods.  The unsaturated fat in most dairy products, fish oils, and olive oil has been linked in recent studies to strong heart health, most likely because if its power as an anti-inflammatory (ii).

 

A healthy breakfast will arm you with an arsenal of nutrients to tackle even the toughest of days.  As a Miami dentist and nutritionist, I see firsthand the benefits of eating healthy meals.  Patients who eat breakfasts rich in eggs, fruit, and yogurt say they feel more energetic and alive.  This is illustrated in their teeth:  patients who eat well have strong, healthy teeth and gums.  To learn more about how diet can affect oral health, Schedule a dental appointment with Assure a Smile.

 


(i) http://www.myfit.ca/nutrition/cortisol_stress_coffee_foods_lower.asp

(ii) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262

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Immune System Health and Vitamin D

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

immune-system-health-and-vitamin-dWe know the South Florida sun can make you look great, but did you know it could also help you feel great?  Recent studies indicate that exposure to sunlight causes the body to produce Vitamin D, a nutrient that significantly promotes immune system health.

 

Comments by Dr. Ted Herrmann:

South Florida is famous for white sand beaches, turquoise waterways, world class golf courses and—you guessed it—sunshine!  However, the sun can be extremely damaging to the skin, especially during those hot summer afternoons when temperatures often climb into the upper 90s.  Recent research has found that exposure to sunlight increases the production of Vitamin D.  These studies further link the production of Vitamin D to a healthy immune system.

 

When it comes to a healthy immune system, high levels of Vitamin D are important for at least two reasons.  First, Vitamin D serves as a trigger, “activating” the body’s white blood cells (i).  When white blood cells come across a foreign object in the bloodstream, the cells extend receptors to search for Vitamin D.  Once found, Vitamin D activates the white blood cells and prompts them to attack the foreign object.  In this way, Vitamin D serves an important role in activating and facilitating the body’s first line of defense against infection:  white blood cells.

 

Vitamin D further supports a healthy immune system by aiding in the production of antibodies (ii).  After Vitamin D activates the body’s white blood cells, some of those cells immediately pursue and kill the foreign bacteria or virus, as mentioned above.  The remaining cells, however, form antibodies.  Antibodies are white blood cells that are programmed to recognize only the foreign object in the blood that caused their formation in the first place.  As more and more of these unique defender-cells form, the body is able to immediately recognize and attack the corresponding viruses and bacteria.  In this way, Vitamin D is instrumental in long term immune system health, helping white blood cells to catalog previously encountered viruses and bacteria for future identification.

 

While the sun may be damaging to the skin, proper exposure can promote long term health perks.  The most beneficial of those perks is increased Vitamin D production, which helps support a strong immune system.  However, precautions must be taken.  Sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor of 30 or greater should be applied every 20 to 35 minutes, depending on skin type.  Pay attention to the more sensitive areas of the body like the face, ears, and shoulders.  These areas tend to receive more direct sunlight than others and need more frequent sun block application.

 

As a holistic Miami dentist, I focus on the interconnectedness of the entire human body.  All organ systems are important– especially the skin, our largest organ.  To learn more about holistic wellness, schedule a dental appointment with Assure a Smile.  Our friendly staff is committed to providing the highest level of service and will help you understand the various factors that affect your overall oral health.

 

 

(i) http://www.naturalnews.com/029312_immune_system_vitamin_D.html

(ii) http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/v11/n4/full/ni.1851.html

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Holistic Wellness and Brown Rice

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

holistic-wellness-and-brown-riceHave you had your grains today?

Researchers now link vitality, disease prevention, and healthier teeth with whole grains like brown rice.  Substituting bad carbohydrates with good is easy, and it may just help you live longer!


Comments by Dr. Ted Herrmann DMD


Everyone knows that carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy.  The popular whole grain cereal Wheaties pushed this idea with their “Breakfast of Champions” slogan in the 1930s, though most of us remember the campaign from the early 90s.

Not all carbohydrates are created equally, however.  Some carbohydrates contain only one or two sugar molecules and are appropriately labeled simple sugars.  The best known of these simple sugars, table sugar, is most likely in your kitchen pantry.  Other carbohydrates are made up of long chains of these simple sugars and, because of their increased molecular complexity, are referred to as complex carbohydrates.  Brown rice, barley, and other whole grains are good examples of these robust, nutrient-dense carbohydrates.


Simple or Complex?


On paper, complex carbohydrates beat their simple counterparts by an astonishing margin.  Complex carbohydrates contain more nutrients, have greater energy potential, have a smaller affect on blood sugar levels, and do less harm to your teeth and gums over time.  Simple sugars, by contrast, have almost no nutritional value, are not a good source of sustainable energy, largely affect blood sugar levels, and can cause plaque buildup on teeth that eventually leads to decay.  Though simple sugars win us over because of their sweet taste, a closer look reveals that replacing simple sugars with complex carbohydrates has enough health benefits to silence even the loudest screaming sweet tooth.


First, complex carbohydrates contain large amounts of B vitamins.  B vitamins, when combined with adequate amounts of water and protein, work to increase your body’s metabolism.  That means more energy!  For the curious readers out there, I urge you to take a closer look at any of the dozens of energy drinks that have popped up in the past five years.  You will notice a common ingredient in almost all of them:  B vitamins.  Complex carbohydrate foods, though, are still a much better option for many reasons:  They will satiate your hunger, they contain fiber to promote digestive health, and they offer a high caloric content for prolonged energy.


In addition to carrying loads of B vitamins, complex carbohydrates promote overall wellness from the standpoint of disease prevention.  Natural News, a website dedicated to the latest in natural living, health, and news, recently reported on a Temple University study that identified a compound in brow rice—a poster child for complex carbohydrates—as having the ability to lower blood pressure, an essential step towards preventing heart disease.[i]


Finally, complex carbohydrates are not as problematic for your teeth and gums.  Simple sugars, especially those found in massive quantities in juices and soft drinks, have a knack for gathering on a tooth’s enamel and forming plaque.  This plaque provides an ideal place for bacteria to breed and infect both the tooth and gums, leading to a host of adverse dental conditions.  Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, contain fewer grams of sugar per serving and are less corrosive to tooth enamel.


The benefits of a diet consisting largely of complex carbohydrates are numerous.  Moreover, adjusting your diet to contain fewer simple sugars and more complex carbohydrates is easy.  To start, here are the three most common “bad” carbohydrates and corresponding “good” carbohydrates to replace them with:


1) White bread:  Replace with 100% Whole Wheat, or other similar Multigrain breads

2) White rice:  Replace with Brown Rice or 100% Whole Wheat pasta

3) Candy:  Replace with sugar free gum, decaffeinated tea, or a small glass of juice

A local Miami dentist can provide you with further information on the benefits of balancing your diet with good carbohydrates.  Certified nutritionists can also help you build a nutrition plan rich in varied, healthy foods.  At Assure a Smile, you will receive both.  Take advantage of our new patient Miami dental cleaning special and learn more about healthy teeth and gum care, holistic wellness, and the importance of a balanced diet.


[i] http://www.naturalnews.com/029143_brown_rice_diabetes.html

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Miami Dentist Says Go Pro

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

miami-dentist-says-go-proWhen it comes to caring for your smile, are you proactive?

Did you know that bacteria need only 48 hours to begin to infect your gums?  Proactively removing plaque from your teeth is hands down the best way to prevent bacteria from accumulating in the first place.

It is recommended children schedule a dental appointment every 6 months, while adults schedule every 4, to maintain a healthy smile.


Comments by Dr. Herrmann:


It is not surprising that most people are not proactive in terms of oral hygiene.  The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that 73% of Americans would rather go grocery shopping then floss their teeth—and we all know how frustrating checkout lines can be!


From a traditional viewpoint, this is not surprising.  Dental education has long rested on the shoulders of parents and educators.  The occasional family dentistry practice is too small to award dentists the time to explain to each patient, in detail, why bacteria leads to cavities, gum disease, and other negative conditions.  By and large, however, there are simply too many mouths and too little time for professionals to adequately educate each individual who visits their office.


Simple information about cleaning your teeth, avoiding excessive sweets, and scheduling a regular professional cleaning has, for the most part, been conveyed to us on a simplistic level by nonprofessionals.  For example, few know that bacteria, when trapped between the teeth, can contact and infect the gums within only 48 hours.  Even fewer are aware that several studies conducted at universities the world over have linked heart disease with the very same bacteria that causes gum disease.


When it comes to dental education, parents, educators, and time constrained professionals seem to leave it at brush twice a day, floss at night, and watch the candy intake.  If you dig deeper, however, you find such prescriptions are extremely limited.


Holistic dentistry, on the other hand, takes an information rich approach to educate and empower people.  Once patients are educated and empowered, they are able to take steps to proactively combat oral decay and gum disease before they become serious health issues.


I have been a Miami dentist for over twenty years.  When I first started Assure a Smile in 1988, I had a simple goal in mind:  create a dental service where patients and their smiles come first.  Putting the patient first means a lot more than just checkups—it means ensuring each patient has a full understanding of why their teeth and gums are in a certain condition.  When you take the time to educate people, you empower them.  Empowered individuals are proactive individuals, and there is simply no substitute for consistent, thorough oral hygiene.

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Holistic Dentistry Links Periodontitis and Heart Disease

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Miami Dentist Periodontitis and Heart DiseaseMiami dentists are urged to identify and treat periodontitis cases as soon as possible to lessen the risk of heart disease.  This holistic concern has risen in the wake of recent scientific inquiries into the long known correlation between gum disease and heart disease.


The heart and mouth share relatively little physical proximity in the human body.  While both are instrumental in the breakdown and delivery of both oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, each has conventionally been thought of as exclusive and to have little affect on the other.  Recent studies conducted at the University of Minnesota, however, have identified bacteria that link periodontitis, a common gum disease resulting from poor oral hygiene, to the blood clots that cause Coronary Heart Disease.


Mark Herzberg, Professor at the University of Minnesota, addressed the 150th meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science with the declaration “now we show a potential biological reason [for the correlation].”  Professor Herzberg’s studies originated as a follow-up to several alarming studies conducted in the 1990s that showed those with periodontitis were twice as likely to develop Coronary Heart Disease.


The correlation between periodontal and heart disease, as linked by Professor Herzberg’s study, is most likely causal.  Using rabbits, proven models for testing human heart disease hypotheses, Herzberg and his colleagues were able to show that dental plaque’s bacteria caused blood clots within minutes of being released into the bloodstream.  The chronic inflammation that this plaque causes in the gums is further conjectured to cause the very same swelling that leads to the build-up of plaque in arteries.  These swollen and constricted arteries, in turn, lead to heart disease.

The link between periodontal disease and heart disease has been further supported by recent studies at the University of Kiel in Germany.  As research mounts, both doctors and dental professionals urge adults to schedule regular examinations to catch either disease as early as possible.


Dental professionals recommend adults brush and floss daily to rid their teeth of the plaque that daily food consumption leaves embedded in their teeth and gums.  This plaque provides an environment for bacteria—like the bacteria that has been increasingly linked to heart disease—to live, grow, and reproduce.


In light of these recent worldwide research findings, it is more important than ever for adults to recognize the interconnectivity of the human body.  Like a pocket watch, the human body is comprised of several finely tuned pieces that flow into one another.  No piece can turn, tick, or move without affecting another piece of the complex infrastructure that comprises the human body.


At Assure a Smile, Miami’s leading holistic dental practice, this assertion of bodily interconnectivity is placed at the forefront of patient interaction.  Great strides are taken to ensure each patient is educated in how the body is connected mentally and physically, as well as how such connections manifest themselves.  Scheduling an appointment with Miami dentist Ted Herrmann is the first of many steps in a journey holistic education and self-discovery.  Young adults ages twenty to thirty are passionately encouraged to consider the holistic nature of the human body as well.  With Assure a Smile offering a special new patient cleaning and consultation for only $199, now is the perfect time to experience holistic dentistry.


Like periodontal disease, most diseases can be cured or their risk minimized by early identification and treatment.  Early identification, however, hinges on the ability for both physician and patient to understand the causal, interconnectivity of each piece of the human body, down to the most minute of cells.

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